Oleksandr Usyk has invoked Tyson Fury's real first name to call him out for an undisputed title fight, telling the Brit "Luke, I'm coming for you".
Ukrainian world heavyweight champion Usyk doesn't speak English, but he was able to get his message across fully during a recent interview with Parimatch. He did the interview in Ukrainian, but asked if he was "coming for" Fury, he switched to the Brit's native tongue to send a concise message to Fury, using his real first name.
It is a well-known piece of trivia in the boxing world that the heavyweight champion's first name is not, in fact, Tyson, but Luke, and that Tyson is his middle name. It's common for people to go by their middle name, and Fury decided to while forging a boxing career when he was younger.
After his message in English, Usyk added: "Obviously, I've been coming for him for a long tie. And we've been watching him since he fought as an amateur and later being a professional, I was watching him when I was at cruiserweight, I have my own records. I wish him a lot of health, happiness, love, patience and warm wind. Borracho, I'm coming for you."
Usyk has used the nickname "Borracho" for Fury, coming from the Spanish word for drunk. The pair had a heated face-off at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium when the two champions squared off at ringside following his win over Derek Chisora, and Usyk has revealed that he actually did understand every word Fury was saying, despite not speaking English.
The Brit went on an incredible rant, telling his rival: "Usyk, you’re next you little b****. You are next. Me and you next. You’re next. Rabbit! P****! 15-stone little midget bodybuilder. Well, I ain’t a bodybuilder, I’m going to write you off. You ugly little man. Let's get it on, b****. You may laugh now but I’ll end this lil' sucker. I’ll end you. You little sucker. What are you gonna do? You’re gonna do f*** all, you little sausage."
And Usyk discussed the insults, noting that he understands what his rival is saying but is choosing not to engage, and decided to stay stoic during the verbal onslaught. He was asked about his emotions on the night going head-to-head with his fellow world champion, and said that he felt relatively normal during the heated moment.
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"Nothing abnormal," he said of his emotions. "A bit of adrenaline, common emotions that have nothing to do with fear, I've been balanced and ready to hear all the stupid things he likes to say. I've been thinking about boxing, about fighting against him and that's all.
"He's thrown out his usual obscenity, that hasn't bothered me. I've put a wall between us, so he's gotten back the dirt. I never take it to heart. He's called me a rabbit, a bum... I was jokingly calling myself a white rabbit when someone asked me if I was a tiger. So how could it offend me?
"Or how could I be homeless when I have a home? Or should I be insulted hearing that I beat a bodybuilder [ Anthony Joshua ]. I'm not at the playground, it's just the words, he mentally has to hold down. It's his way of defending, it's all about his emotions, when cameras are off he's a different person. So when cameras are on, he's 'Tyson'. When they're off, he's Luke."
